About the Diagnostic Website
The Diagnostic Artifacts in Maryland web site project was initiated in 2002 with generous support from the National Park Service’s National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. It started with two sections: Prehistoric Ceramics and Colonial Ceramics. The Prehistoric Ceramics pages provide a brief description of Maryland’s earliest history, a general introduction to the physiographic regions located in the state, and ware definitions and images for most of the Native American pottery types found here. The Colonial Ceramics pages cover the most common ware types imported into this region between the time of initial European settlement and the American Revolution.
Over the years, the website expanded to include new artifact categories, including Projectile Points, Post-Colonial Ceramics, Small Finds, Equestrian Artifacts, and Table Glass. Each of these sections will be detailed below. In 2020, the Maryland Archaeological Lab embarked on a long-term project to update the website to a new format that was mobile device friendly and searchable. The website now also includes a short site summary for the artifacts shown there. During this update project, a decision was also made to change the name of the website from Diagnostic Artifacts in Maryland to Diagnostic Artifacts. This change reflects the inclusion of archaeological artifacts from sites and curation facilities in other states, including Virginia, Delaware, North Carolina, and New Jersey.
The Post-Colonial Ceramics section (which has now been combined with Colonial Ceramics to form the Historic Ceramics section) was produced with grant funding from the Maryland Historical Trust Board of Trustees in 2008. This section focuses on the decorative motifs found on 19th-century ceramics to provide a tool for dating these often-confusing wares. Associated essays examine topics such as the 19th-century ware types commonly used by archaeologists, vessel manufacturing techniques, etc.
The Projectile Points section, which was added in 2012, describes the various types of arrowheads and spear points commonly used by Maryland Indians, beginning at least 13,000 years ago. In addition, there are short essays on the manufacture and use of these tools. Funding for this section was generously provided by the Maryland Historical Trust Board of Trustees and was compiled by Keith Egloff.
Small Finds, originally begun in 2007, are the "miscellaneous" artifacts typically recovered in small numbers on archaeological sites. Because published information about these objects can be difficult to find, they are often glossed over in archaeological reports, with little beyond mere descriptions included in these documents. Our goal is to provide details about their chronology, function, manufacture, etc., so that these artifacts can be more fully used in site interpretation.
The first Small Finds category added was Leather Ornaments, which are decorative metal objects with grippers that allow them to adorn straps for horse tack. Research into Leather Ornaments led naturally to the addition of other equestrian artifacts, such as cheek bosses, spurs, and stirrups. In 2019, a grant from The Conservation Fund allowed the expansion of equestrian categories to include bits, saddles, horseshoes, and artifacts of horse care such as curry combs. Together these categories now comprise their own Equestrian Artifacts section that is separate from Small Finds.
The catch-all Small Finds section currently includes categories such as Bodkins, Bottle Seals, Forks, Knives, Linked Buttons, Pipe Tongs/Smoker's Companions, Religious Artifacts, Spoons, Thimbles, Bone Toothbrushes, and Toys and Games. As more Small Finds are added, these may be organized into larger subcategories similar to the Equestrian Artifacts section.
As we work to add more categories, we are interested to hear what additions are of most interest to our users. We hope to make the Diagnostic Artifacts website an even more useful resource for scholars and the public.